Apparatus for feeding



SCHMIDT 2,563,496

16 sheets-sheet A Aug. 7, 1951 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Filed NOV. l5, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. SCHMIDT APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Aug. 7, 1951 Filed Nov. l5, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet` 5 SCHMIDT @s EN AND HEADSTO SEAMING MEANS I o ww um NNN APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS Aug. 7, 1951 Filed Nov. l5, 1946 .1L Wam. .www

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS 16 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. l5, 1946 Aug. 7, 1951 J. SCHMIDT 2,563,496

APPARATUS F OR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Filed Nov. 15, 194e 16 sheets-sheet 5 Jbhn Shmfdz',

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Aug. 7, 1951 J. SCHMIDT 2,563,496 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Filed Nov. l5, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 8 A ,f gw 4 .SIS Qh/ 9cm), @www A Elk/huw.

Aug. 7, 1951 J. SCHMIDT APPARATUS FOR FE EDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS 16 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Nov. 15, 1946 Aug. 7, 1951 J. SCHMIDT 2,563,496

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Filed Nov. l5, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet lO ug. 7, 1951 J. scHMlDT 2,563,496

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS Filed Nov. l5. 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 1l lohn Jmd,

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS T0 SEAMING MEANS Filed Nov. l5, 1946 16 Sheets-Sheet 12` Aug. 7, 1951 .1. SCHMIDT 2,563,496

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEMING MEANS 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed NOV. l5, 1946 Z Jam jchmedf,

Aug. 7, 1951 J.SHM1DT 2,563,496

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS `16 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed Nov. l5, 1946 Aug. 7, 1951 J. SCHMIDT APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CONTAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS 16 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed NOV. 15, 1946 WNN.

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Patented g. 7, 1951 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING FILLED CON- TAINERS AND HEADS TO SEAMING MEANS John Schmidt, Philadelphia., Pa., assigner to Crown Can Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1946, Serial No. 710,049

(Cl. 113-14) A 17 Claims.

This invention relates to method and means for the rapid association of ends or closures with containers and in particular for the application of covers to cans filled with liquids such, for example, as fruit juices which ordinarily suffer considerable spillage between the filling and the closing operations. A principal object of the invention is to provide for the smooth straight line feed of a container substantially tangentially up to and smoothly onto a turret with the immediate application of a closure during a first slight arcuate travel of the container on the turret. Thus, in the case of a filled can, the can when uncovered by the ller head travels rectilinearly to a seaming turret substantially tangentially of the turret and is delivered onto a can support. A can cover disposed in registry above the delivered can is caused to follow the can in continued registry therewith, and in the rst few degrecs of their concordant travel the two are mutually engaged by relative vertical displacement. Since the turret radius is relatively large and the curvilinear travel together of the can and cover is very short up to the point at which the two are engaged, the tendency to spill due to the inertia of the contents is substanially nil during this travel. The entire travel of the can from the ller to the seamer and on the latter until closed by the cover is, in effect, straight line so that spillage due to directional changes is avoided. The can is, moreover, advanced from the filler to the turret without substantial rotation on its own axis so that spillage due to centrifugal action is avoided.

Among other features of the invention are improved means for feeding the closures into initial and continued registry with the containers, and for bringing the closures and containers together.

In the drawings, wherein the invention is shown embodied in a can filling and seaming machine, by way of example,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine with parts removed to reveal others,

Figure 2 is a section in elevation substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section in elevation substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine with parts omitted,

Figure 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section on the line 5--5 of Figure l,

Figure 5a shows a detail in plan,

Figure 5b shows on a smaller scale gearing which appears partially at the bottom of Figure 5,

Figure 6 is a section substantially on line 6--6 of Figure 1,

Figure 7 is an enlarged partial section substantially on line 'l--l of Figure 5,

Figure 8 is a progressive study illustrating the movement of a can onto a seamer turret,

Figure 9 is a vertical axial section on an enlarged scale of a portion of a feed screw which extends between the filler and the seamer as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 9a is an elevation of the right hand end of the feed screw of Figure 9,

Figure 10 is an enlarged plan view of apparatus which appears at the lower left of Figure 1,

Figure l1 is an enlarged section substantially on line l l-l I of Figure 10,

Figure l2 is an enlarged section substantially on line l2-l 2 of Figure 10,`

Figure 13 is an enlarged elevation of the upper portion of Figure 10 as seen from the left of the figure,

, Figure 14 is an enlarged elevation of a stationary cam which appears in vertical section at the upper left of Figure 5,

Figure 15 is an elevation of the cam of Figure 14 as seen from the bottom of that figure,

Figure 16 is a diagram showing a portion of the track of the cam of Figures 14 and 15,

Figure 17 is a plan view of a cam which appears in vertical section of the lower left of Figure 5,

Figure 18 is a diagram showing a portion of the contour of the cam of Figure 17,

Figure 19 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale of can supporting means appearing at lower right center, Figure 5,

Figure 19a is a partial section taken at right angles to the section of Figure 19,

Figure 20 is an enlarged section on line 20-20 of Figure 19,

Figure 21 is an enlarged section on line 2|-2I of Figure 19,

Figure 22 shows a detail of Figure 19 in enlarged elevation,

Figure 23 is an enlarged axial section of a fixed cam which appears at the upper right of Figure 5,

Figure 24 is a bottom plan view of the cam of Figure 23, l

Figure 25 is an elevation of a follower for the cam of Figures 23 and 24, i

Figure 26 is an end elevation of a dial pocket,

Figure 27 is a bottom plan view of a cover stack support and guide member,

Figure 28 is a top plan view of the same,

Figure 29 is a section substantially on line 29--29 of Figure 28,

Figure 30 is a section substantially on line 30-30 of Figure 28,

Figure 31 is an end elevation of the support and guide member,

Figure 32 is a section substantially on line 32--32 of Figure 28,

Figure 33 is an end elevation of further cover guide means.

Figure 34 is a bottom plan View of the guide means of Figure 33,

Figure 35 is an enlarged partial section on line --5Vof Figure 1 showing the parts in a first position,

Figure 36 is a view like that of 35 showing the parts in a second position,

Figure 37 is a view like that of Figure 35 showing the parts in a third position and j Figure 38 is an elevation, partly in vertica section, of modied can supporting and propelling means.

' Considering first the general organization, reference letter A designates an infeed conveyor for -a ller B with which is associated a dial'C operating to transferY lled cans to a feed screw D which delivers` to the seamer E. Reference letter Fde'signates a feeder for a stack of covers, the feeder'delivering to transfer mechanism G which delivers the Acovers in timed relation above cans Ydelivered to the seamer by the screw D. Reference letter H designates an outfeed dial assoeiated-with'the sea-mer E'. rIhe apparatus may be supported on fa common bed plate 50 at the left hand end Yof which is a frame 5| which includes uprights 52 and 52 and a horizontal top plate-53, Figures 1 to 5 and 5U. The seamer includes a. vertically supported shaft 54 which is the power input shaft, the shaft being rotatable in a hollow shaft-54 journalled through a bushing 54" in a lower bearing below top plate 53,' the upper end of shaft 54 being journalled in an upper bearing 55 which is fixedly'supported from above and conveniently from an overhang, not shown, of a post 56 which rises from the rear right hand; corner of frame 5|.

`Fixed to shaft 51|V below plate 53, Figures 5 and 5b, yis a gear 51 which, through gearsV 58 and 58 which are fixed together, drives a gear 59 secured on shaft 54', gear 59 driving a gear 50 xed on a vertical shaft 6| whose lower end is `journalled in a lower bearing 62 of plate 53 through a bushing which extends up into a skeleton gear case 83* fixed on the "plate, its intermediate portion in a bearing 64 of the case, and its upper end ina bearing 85 of a bracket 66 which derives support from an upright B6 on thecase, Figures 3 and 4. Looking down on the machine, shaft 54" rotates clockwise and shaft 6| counter-clockwise, YFixed on shaft 6| between bearings 82 and 54 is a bevel gear 61 which en gages a bevel pinion 88 fixed on one end of a shaft 69 whichis journalled in parallel relation to the screw Drin a bearing 1li of case 63 and; another bearing 1| above plate 53. Fixed on the Vother end of shaftr89 is a sprocket 12 driving ay chain 13 which drives a sprocket 14 free on ashaft 15 which is supported at the rear of the machine in parallel relation to shaft-69 in a bearing-16 on frame5| and a bearing 11 provided in a fixed housing l118 beneath dial C. Sprocket 14 is adapted to drive shaft 1-5 through a clutch 19, shaft Yl5 through suitable gearing driving the dial shaft 88 and the latter, through suitable gearing, driving the shaft 8| of ller B. Through sprockets anda chain `82 shaft 15 drives the screw 83 of the infeed conveyor A. The

4 latter, filler B and dial C are of conventional structure and per se form no part of the present invention. Suflice it to say that the screw 83 delivers unlled cans successively into the dial pockets 84 of the filler B, these pockets delivering the filled cans successively into the pockets 85 of the dial C for delivery onto r,a horizontal plate 86 having `an arcuate edge which, as most clearly shown in Figure 1, is closely adjacent the can supporting table 81 of the filler B, the top surfaces of the two being flush. Y

The Yfeed screw D, see particularly Figures 1, 2, '1 and 9, comprises a Vcylindrical portion or drum 88 constituting a body portion provided with a spiral groove in which is set a radially projecting thread 89. Inserted in the left hand end of the cylinder 88 and rigidly secured thereleft in a hub 93 from whichprojectsxan axial:

Yings provided, the screw is rotatable -atf high journal 94'.' The helix 92 constitutes a continuation of the body 88 and its outersurface95 is in the surface of the same cylinder which includes` the surface. of the body portion 88. The. skeletonhelix is. provided with a peripheral spiral groove in continuation ofthe grooverofV .drum 88 and receiving the thread 89.

AA shaft 96, VFigures 2 and 9, has Ya heavy ta pered portion 51 extending a distance. within the right hand end of drum -88' to a. reduced portion between which and the drum is. disposed" a ball bearing assembly 98. The inner extremity of the shaft extends within the shank ofhub 90 Y and a ball bearing assembly 9.9L isengaged between the two. The Vshank is-closed. offlby a. solid oil `seal |88, andan oilseal .IUI isv .en, gaged between the drum: and shaft. outwardly of bearing 98. Reference. numerals .|02 and |03 designate plugged oil openings in the drum with the outer ends ofthe plugs'flush with the drum surface. Shaft v98 .terminates at the right in a reduced journal portion |04 received ina .bearing |55 and locked by a nut |842l BearingV |05 is secured toa horizontally adjustable spacer block onthe upper end of an inverted U1 shaped frame |85 .securedto the floor plate `5|) and supports platerwith the. top'v surfaceof the latter flush with vthe topv line or-generatrix of the cylindrical Vsurface of lthe screw ;D. `Journal portion 94, Aat the oppositelend of .the.screw, is supported in abearing |81.' secured on topof case 53 and has fixed to its extremityagear |88 which engages an iidler engaging aegear '|59 fixed on one end of a shaft H0' vjournalled in a bearing providedby the case, the other end ofthe shaft having fixed thereon a bevel pinion which engages gear 81. i

Due 'to the rigid` nature of the entirescrew structure and of shaft 9.8,and the multiplefbearspeeds under loadwithout'vibration.

Supported'by and extending between/frames 5| and li-is-ahorizontal*beam VH2 inparallel relation to and rearwardly of screw D, thea-djacent face of fthe* beam'being concaved'as particularly shown in Figurel.- Secured to thetop of the beam isfatrack ||`3 whosetop surface is tangential to the screw body, the track having arectilinear edge undercut so that the-top surface of the track extends close to the surface-of thread 89 but free .-thereof. "Secured on topof 'track i3 inf parallel relation toits yundercut edge is aspacerstri-pl |4andse'curedon top of the strip is a guide rail H which overhangs the strip toward the screw in parallel relation to the vertical plane of the latter. As particularly shown in Figure 6, a can H6 is adapted to be supported jointly by the track H3 and the body of the screw with the major portion of the can bottom on the track. The disposition of rail I|5 is such that it engages the can body just above the bottom seam H1 and prevents contact of the latter with the strip I4.. At the right hand end of the machine, Figure l, track H3 terminates at the left hand end of plate 86 flush therewith but strip |I4 and rail H5 are continued out to the end of the plate. A guide rail H8 is supported' on bearing |05 in parallel relation to rail H5, the opposite edges of the two being spaced apart slightly more than the diameter of a can body.

With the machine in operation, the screw is driven in the direction of the arrow, Figure 6, i. e., with its top moving toward the track H3, the dial C, Figure l, is driven clockwise, and the filler B counter-clockwise. As a can cornes between rails H5 and IIB, the ller head (not shown) is lifted and the transfer member moves the can rectilinearly along plate 86 as guided by the rails. Thread 89 extends flushly to the right hand end of drum 38, as shown in Figure 9a, and the timing between the screw and dial C is such that as the dial moves the can onto cylinder 88 and track I |3 the can is immediately picked up by the entering end of the thread. The advancing effect of the thread at this point is substantially equal to, or slightly greater than, the speed of the can as delivered by the dial and the thread takes behind the can without jar and maintains the continuous travel of the can. The screw picks up one can at each revolution.

Looking down on Figure 1 a can resting on track H3 and urged against rail H5 by the advancing thread 89 tends to be rotated counterclockwise by the latter and clockwise by the rail. These rotative forces more or less balance each other and due to the friction or drag of the can body on the track H3, which projects under the can toward the screw beyond the center line of the can, the can is advanced substantially without rotation on its axis, especially when driven at high speed, as at 200 or more R. P. M. of the screw. Obviously, this is of great importance' since it avoids spilling due to centrifugal action. The line of travel of the can centers is indicated at I.

The seamer E, see Figure 5 in particular, `cornprises an upper turret H9, a dial |20, and a lower turret I2 I, all xed to shaft 54. The lower turret comprises a table or casing |22 including a hub |22 supported through a ball bearing assembly on bushing |22. The table is provided with a concentric circular series of vertical bores |23 in equally spaced relation, there being six in the present instance. A bushing |24 is secured in each bore, as by a press t, and guides for vertical reciprocation a chuck comprising a pedestal |25 to the upper end `of which is xed a supporting pad or base plate |25 for a can H6.

Referring also to Figures 19 to 22, a sleeve |21 is splined in bushing |24 for vertical reciprocation and has a lower bifurcated end which receives a roller |28 mounted on an axle |29 which is radial to the turret axis and has an inwardly projecting portion |29', the roller riding on a cam track |30. Vertically slidable in sleeve |21 is the lower end of a plunger |3| having a lower axial bore |32 surrnounted by a counter-bore |33 whichextends upwardly into a diametrical slot |34, the plunger having a somewhat reduced poi tion |35 Awhich extends upwardly from the lower level of the slot |34 so that an upwardly faced shoulder |36 .is provided. Slidable in counterbore |33 is the shank |31 of a follower |38 which has a head portion |39 slidable in the upper end of bore |32', the head having longitudinally extending grooves |40 and |4| for the prevention of suction effects thereabove. The head has an axially extending elongated slot |42 and plunger |3I has similarly shaped slots |42 and |42 in which is engaged a stop pin |43 whose ends are received in mating circular openings |44 and |44 in the walls of sleeve |21 as particularly shown in Figures 19a and 21. Pin |143 is retained by an end wall of opening |44' and by the spline |45 which closes opening |44. A compression spring |46 seats at its lower end on a shoulder |41 within and adjacent the lower end of sleeve |21 and at its upper end against head |39 so that, as shown in Figure 19, the bottom of slots |42, |42 and |42l engage the pin |43.

Surrounding the lower portion of the reduced section |35 is a collar |48 which has recesses |49 and |50 in register with the ends of slot |34 and in the slot is a slide |5| having a bottom inclined surface engaging a mating inclined surface |31 at the top of stem |31, the horizontal top surface of the slide being slidable along the horizontal top wall of slot |34. The ends of member |5| are engaged by set screws |52 and |53 threaded in diametrically opposed openings of collar |48. Engaging the upper end of the reducedsection |35 is a tubular member |54 which supports pad r |26. Threaded in a somewhat upwardly directed threaded bore in member |54 is a set screw |55 which engages rectangularly a, face |56 of a notch |51 formed in portion |35. When screw |55 is tightened, member |54 is forced downwardly to clamp collar |48 between it and the shoulder |36. The collar includes a depending skirt |58 which telescopes over the upper end of bushing |24 to provide a guard.

In Figure 19, slide |5| is in a fully retracted position in which it is against the end wall of groove |49 which groove and groove |50 are provided merely for the purpose of extending the range of travel of the slide. The slide is locked in position by the set screws |52 and |53 and spring |46 is at maximum expansion due to the engagement of the bottom of slot |42 with the stop pin |43. `Plunger |3| can thus be moved downwardly with respect to sleeve |21 against a certain spring pressure but outward movement is positively limited by pin |43 as engaged by the bottoms of slots |42 and |42. Should it be desired to increase the spring pressure, screw |53 it threaded out to the necessary extent and screw |52 is threaded in to displace slide |5| into abutment with screw |53, this displacement acting to wedge the follower |38 downwardly relative to plunger |3| and so increasing the compression of the spring. This is accomplished without disturbing the normal height of the pedestal. A key |59 fixes the angular relation of collar |48 and member |54 with respect to the plunger and pin |43 prevents, rotation of plunger |3| relative to sleeve |21. Since a spline is provided betweenl the latter and bushing |24 which is iixed in the bore |23, no rotation of the pedestal about its axis is possible so that pad |26 maintains a iixed position with respect to the pedestal axis, the pad being secured to the top of member |54 by means of a plurality of rivets |50.

As shown in Figures 5 and 35, for example, the

Y a plane tangent to the top of the cylindrical surface of the helix which means also that the top of the pad is coplanar with vthe top of track ||3.

A pad |26 is shown in full outline at the leftV of Figure 7 and in Figure L8. It will be observed that the top of the pad is provided with a circular series |6| of radial corrugations formed about a center |6| which is on the vertical axis Y of the supporting pedestal. These corrugations are made by gouging grooves into the otherwise at surface of the pad so that the supporting surface of the pad is still flat in effect. When a can is centered on the pad, i. e., is supported on the pad on the center ISI', the bottom edge of the can will be on the corrugations which will oppose' rotation of the can relative to the pedestal; Y

The outer edge |62 of the pad is arcuate on the turret axis and the pad has a, forwardly extending .blunt triangular tongue or extension |62. Rearwardly edge |62 terminates in an edge |63 which is secantialto the otherwise generally circular contour of the pad. In the rotation of the turret, the arcuate edge |62 passes in close proximity to a similarly arcuate edge ||3 at the foot end of track I i3, Figure '1.

Dial |28' comprises Va central inverted bowllike vportion |64 terminating in an outwardly directed'horizontal ange |65 to the top of which is secured AYa coaxial ring |66. Ring |66 is provided'onits perip-hery with a number of pockets |61 equal in number to the number of pads |26 and respectively registered thereabove, the pockets having top and `bottom flanges |68v and |69 which are arcuate on the vertical lines of the respective pad centers |6| and have a radius very slightly greaterV than that ofthe can body, the pockets being symmetrical with respect to radii ofthe dial. The outer edges |18 and |1| ofthe pockets are arcuate on a radius of the turret, the length of the radius being the distance between the axis of shaft 54 and the vertical line of the associated pad center. No part of ring |66 projects outwardly beyondrthe circle which includes the arcs |10 and |1|.

The upper turret ||9 comprises a table |12 provided `with verticalbores as at |13, Figures 5, 14 and 15, which are coaxial' with the'respective `centers |6| each bore having an upward enlargement |14 receiving a bushing |15 ,having at the'inner side of its upper end a; flange provided with perforations receiving retaining cap screws |16 threaded into an anular rib |11 on the main body of the table and through which the bore extends. Slidable in bore |13`and bushing is a sleeve |18 which, at its upper end, is provided with a, peripheral groove |18', see also Figure 5a, in which is engaged an annular flange |19 integral with a cap screw lf'which is threaded Vinto the top of `rib |11 in parallel relation to the sleeve.v The top wall of the annular recess is broken away at |18", Figure 5a, to provide clearance so that, in assembly, the sleeve can be pushed upwardly toV bring Vthe groove into rthe plane of ange |19, the sleeve being then turned'so that flange |19 is within the groove. When so turned, a vertical slot |8| formed inthe sleeve is engageable by theinner end of a 'capscrewrl82 whichisthreadedradi of a rod which has a sliding t within the,

lower portion of the sleeve. Upwardly sleeve |18 is internally enlarged and slidingly receives a stop collar |86 which rests cn a shoulder atv the lower end ofV an upwardlyreduced portion of the rod which extends upwardly through a sleeve |81 slidable in the upper portion of sleeve |18, a compression spring |88 being interposed between collar |66 and the lower end of sleeve |81. At the upper end of sleeve |81 is a slide |89 guided for vertical movement by brackets |89 and |89- fixed on rib |11 and having a bore radial with respectto shaft 54 and receiving a pin |,90Von the inwardly projecting end of Vwhich is mounted a roller |6l. Rod |85 extends diametrically and slidably through the pin |90 and out through a bore at the top of slide |89 to have threaded thereon a nut |92. Roller |9| is engaged in the track |93 of a stationary cam |94 which is xed to the bearing 55 therebeneath. It will be evident that downward movement of sleeve |81'willbe yieldingly imparted to pad |84 through the spring |86 and that the pad can move upwardly relative to the sleeve due to the slidability of rod |85therein. Normal relationship of rod |85 and sleeve |81 is determined by the adjustment of nut |92. Y

`Secured on shaft 6| above bearing 64, Figures 5, 10 and 26 to 28 is a dial 296 which comprises a table 20| having secured around its periphery a number of equally spaced pocket brackets 282, the number in this instance being five and their peripheral spacing being the same as that of pockets |61 around dial |28. Referring to Figures '1, V10 and 26, each pocket has top and bottom arcuate flanges 283 and 294 in the planes respectively of the flanges |68 and V|69 of pockets |61 and the curvature of the flanges is the same. Shafts 56' and 6| are disposed with their axes in a vertical plane p which is perpendicular to the axis of screw D and the outer edges 285 and 266 of the pockets are ina circle substantially tangent to the circle of travel of the outer edges |19 and. |1| of the pockets |61. The drive ratio between gears 56 and is such that the pockets of the two dials successively come into symmetrically opposed relation in the plane p.

Each pocket 252 has at its upper outer portion bosses 281 and 268 which are respectively arcuately rabbetted to provide arcuate faces 289 and 2|6 on the same center as the pocket but on a radius slightly greater than that of the can cover. At its trailing edgeyeach bracket 282 is provided with a radial channelV defined between side walls 2|'| and 2|2 of which the latter terminates at the boss 281, and pivotedin the channel on a bolt 2|3 is a bell crank lever 2 I4 comprising arms 215 and 2 i6 of which the latter is normally disposed horizontally in the channel and has a forwardly directed upwardlyextending nose 2I'(l 

